Let's Talk About Sex, Baby
by JuniperLemon
Summary: Steve is asexual and also in a new relationship with Tony Stark, playboy extraordinaire. Tony, however, doesn't see it as a problem like Steve does.
1. Chapter 1

Google didn't exist when Steve Rogers was growing up so he never had the opportunity to google whether he was normal or not. If he'd had someone there to guide him a little bit better in the sexuality department then maybe he would have felt a lot different about himself. Luckily, a certain Tony Stark might be exactly the person he's looking for.

The credits were rolling on their film but Steve hadn't paid attention to the last half as he'd gotten slightly distracted watching Tony's face while butterflies assaulted his stomach. The end music finished and the room was plunged into darkness but neither man dared to move. Steve would know when the other moved as it would rustle the blanket that they currently shared. All he could hear was his steady breath.

However, Tony must have moved slowly as the sudden hand in his check made Steve startle. He wasn't ready when the lips gently touched his but quickly, his brain caught up and he leant towards the other man to deepen their kiss. The short, dark hair felt so soft against Steve's large hands. The taller man hummed in contentment as he'd wanted to kiss Tony since the first day they met and he'd been incredibly nervous leading up to their first date.

The popcorn bowl fell on the ground, tossing cornels and popcorn across the plush carpet, as Tony shifted to get his body closer to Steve's. His hand rested on Steve's hip and the soldier was more than happy for it to stay there.

Suddenly, Tony's body pressed even closer and his hand dropped to Steve's belt buckle.

The contact of Tony's fingers with the warm metal of the belt was like a bullet as Steve was immediately on his feet and nearly knocked Tony completely off the couch in the process. The genius was half on half off the floor.

Steve's heart was racing, he could feel it coursing through his ears. Saliva was like glue in his mouth as he couldn't seem to swallow properly. Fingers tangled in his blond hair, he pulled at the strands in frustration.

From where he was on the floor, Stark muttered, "Um... Light up, J." Light followed.

The genius was peering up at the soldier with a confused and slight 'What-the-Fuck' look plastered in his face, "What's going on?"

Opening his mouth several times, he resembled a goldfish as he frantically searched for words, "I can't."

Righting himself, Stark shrugged, "You could have just told me that you wanted to take it slow."

Steve appeared almost visibly pained as he gritted his teeth and pulled at his hair, "I **can't**... There's something wrong with me." After the admission he dropped down on the edge of the couch and released a weary sigh.

"You're sick?" Tony would lie in the future and pretend that his mind didn't leap straight to sexually transmitted diseases. Creases folded between his eyebrows as he watched his date drop his head into his hands.

"No, Tony. I'm just... broken." He refused to look anywhere that wasn't the floor. Hatred flooded his heart.

"You mean that you can't get it up? It's a pretty common problem so we-" He was mid-sentence when he got interrupted.

"Tony, I don't feel anything about sex. I never have. The thought of it and the... the doing it just make me uncomfortable." He groaned at himself, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even come here and done this to you. Why'd you ever want to be with a freak." The word freak had been ingrained deeply into his mind as so many people he'd either told or been in relationships with had rejected him and called him a freak. He didn't know how to fix himself but he wished he could.

"A freak?" Tony cried out, he leapt off the couch to instead kneel in front of Steve. He grabbed his his hands in his, "You're completely normal! You're asexual."

"What?" He frowned, Tony better not be messing with him.

"Yeah, it just means you're not interested in having sex. It's totally normal and valid so you're not broken and you're not a freak." The squeeze he gave Steve's hands was so reassuring.

"Asexual..."

"And it doesn't make any difference to me whether you like sex or not! I've been building up the courage to ask you on a date for months! I'm not going to suddenly change my mind because you don't want to sleep with me. I like you for who you are!"

The tears didn't stay on Steve's cheeks long as his date wiped them away quickly.

"Is it okay if I kiss you or... where are your boundaries?" Tony asked hesitantly. He didn't want to fuck this up.

Nodding quickly, Steve leant forward and initiated the kiss. He smiled, "I like kissing you."

Grinning, Stark answered, "Yeah, and I like kissing you too. But seriously you'll have to tell me what you're okay with since I don't want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me."

Steve nodded which made Tony continue, "But, for now, how about another movie and we get snuggled under that blanket?"

Steve agreed and they cuddled up together under the blanket. Tony knew that the rest of the team would laugh if they could see Tony Stark, Playboy millionaire, being a complete softy but it was worth it for Steve.

—

Tony was heading out from their latest, seemingly never ending, briefing when Clint caught up with him. Not caring if Clint got offended, Tony frowned and peered across at him. If Clint was around him he was usually up to something.

"What do you want?" The genius huffed.

The mock look of offence was almost realistic but Clint couldn't sustain it and laughed, "I hear wedding bells."

"What?" He stopped walking and turned to face his teammate.

"Just come to make sure I'd get an invite?" The archer smirked. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Whoever is getting married would be smart to purposely 'lose' your invitation in the mail." Stark crossed his arms as he huffed. Clint was practically dripping in mischief and Tony didn't like it.

"It's you." He rolled his eyes at Tony's obtuseness, "I heard through the grapevine, a.k.a Natasha's snooping skills, that you and Steve are a thing now? Bet you had to beg to get that ass."

Stark had been trying very hard to not think of Steve's ass, especially when the man was anywhere near him. It had been years since he'd been in any sort of established relationship so he was fearful of fucking it up with Steve. Would Steve be uncomfortable if Tony thought about his ass? Would that be crossing one of his boundaries? He'd have to check.

"Um, sure. Whatever."

"Whatever?" Clint squinted at him, "Ah, I see. You haven't gotten a piece yet."

Quickly, Tony's eyes glanced up and down the corridor to check that they were alone. He stepped closer to his friend to ensure he could keep his voice low. The last thing he wanted was to be overheard by a stranger.

"Look, I'd appreciate it if you don't talk about Steve like that... He's not comfortable with sex. He's asexual."

Clint suddenly burst out laughing and Tony couldn't have been more angry. The inventor continued, "Don't you dare laugh at him!"

"Oh no," Clint cackled out between laughs, "I'm not laughing at Steve. I'm laughing at you." He suddenly went deadpan, "I think you need to think carefully about what you're doing. You're Tony Stark, playboy extraordinaire. If you hurt Steve in anyway you know we'll be all over your ass."

Tony blanched at the man's sudden change in tone, "The last thing I want to do is hurt Steve."

"But if it's the last thing on your Want To Do list then it's still on the list. The last thing on the list is still a thing to be done..." Shrugging, he turned and left. Clint's words remained with Tony long after the spy had dashed off without even saying goodbye.

Tony's eyes followed after him but he didn't move for a while longer. Could he possibly be destined to hurt Steve?


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, will I need a notepad?" Characteristic cheeky smile in place, Tony settled down on the bed opposite his new partner.

They sat mirror image, each at one end of the bed facing each other with their legs crossed underneath them. Steve looked unsure, despite Tony's regular reassurances that it was totally normal, but Tony's enthusiastic eagerness to learn helped dispel the worst of the anxiety.

"Okay... Where to start..."

"How about starting from the beginning? Holding hands, kissing, touching, touching where? No sex, no masturbation?"

"Okay, good start." Steve coughed awkwardly. He really hoped that his face wouldn't flush red, "I really like kissing you a lot so that's fine. Touching is fine like above the belt? Sex and masturbation make me really uncomfortable... Um,..." The soldier wracked his brains for anything else Tony needed to know.

The genius nodded as he listened carefully. He wanted to interrupt a couple of times to ask questions but he resisted as he knew that Steve needed to lay down his boundaries for their relationship to work. Finally he asked, "Okay, all makes sense. Um, what about... uh, like when..." How could he phrase it without making his partner uncomfortable, "If I were to think about you to help me relieve myself or like think of your ass in a sexual setting... would that? How would you feel about that?" He felt like he had to ask as he had jerked off to Steve before their relationship had started so he might need to source some new material.

Steve chuckled and blushed at how seriously Tony was taking this. He really cared about making him comfortable, "I don't mind really as long as you don't tell me all about it. I don't really want to know any details."

"So that is fine in times of need but not to leave the head space?" Tony summarised whilst scratching his beard.

Steve smiled, "Sounds about right. I think that's mostly everything but I'll keep thinking."

"Let me know if anything needs to be changed or whatever. I know that sexuality can be fluid so if something starts making you uncomfortable just let me know and I'll change it up." The smile he got was one of the most open and accepting Steve had ever received.

Except maybe from Nat. She'd given him an almost identical understanding smile when she'd found out his dislike for sex within a few days of first meeting. She'd been the first person he'd told in such a long time but she made him feel so at ease. His thoughts snapped back as Tony leant in to kiss him.

"Thank you for letting me know all of this." Tony muttered after their kiss.

Steve held his neck to stop him moving back and kissed him again, "Thank you for making it feel all so okay."

—

2 months later-

When you're growing up, you're told that you'll find a partner, get married, have babies and live happily every after. Nobody seems interested in all the complexities that come in between. However, Tony and Steve were beginning to find out how complex it can be but maybe they'll find their own solutions.

"Steve, you can't be serious!" Tony was pacing back and forth at the foot of their large bed. His hair was ruffled from running his fingers through and he looked thoroughly confused. This wasn't what a person expected to be confronted with within 10 minutes of waking up.

As he was pacing, Steve was sat up in their bed with their blanket pooled around his trim waist and was pondering how many times one would have to walk back and forth to wear the plush cream carpet away. Moistening his lips, he listened to his partner ranting without paying too much attention as he'd decided that he wouldn't be swayed.

"I have given it a lot of thought." Steve spoke slowly and calmly. He ignored the scathing look Stark threw in his direction, "You need sex, Tony. It's so ingrained in you. But I... I don't like sex so it only makes sense for you to fulfil your... needs somewhere else."

The other man paused in his pacing to throw a disgusted look at Steve. He spoke after only a heartbeat though, "You're being irrational. I don't need sex, Steve. I need to be here with you."

Steve coughed and mumbled, "M'kay..." His eyes wander down to Tony's underwear pointedly.

Aggravated, the genius burst out, "So what?! People wake up with hard-ons all the time! It doesn't mean you're actively out to get some. Besides, I can deal with it myself." Tony has been managing pretty well with just himself for the last couple of months.

Steve knelt up and crawled to the edge of the bed. Tony stopped so they were face to face; with Steve kneeling they were nearly perfect height. The soldier reached up and cupped his partner's cheek in his hand and smiled softly when Tony automatically leant into it.

He sighed, "Look, just listen okay. You've reacted badly to this but you're not understanding what I mean. I don't want us to break up, I don't want you to start a relationship with anyone else, I don't want a thrupple." Tony chuckled as it was a word he'd taught Steve only a few days before, "I just want you to be happy and as healthy as possible. Sex is a normal part of life and it's important you release that tension." Tony was about to interrupt but Steve placed a finger over his lips, "All I'm suggesting is that you go, every few weeks or so, find someone in a bar or call whoever and just enjoy yourself. It doesn't need to be more than that." His eyes were pleading.

"I couldn't do it knowing you're back here alone." The genius mumbled, he closed his eyes and leant further into Steve's hand in his cheek. Since being with Steve he'd learnt how to be more open about his emotions.

"Not for long. Once you're done you can come back here and snuggle up since I know how sleepy and cuddly you get afterwards. It's a win-win. I get a happy, snuggling, placated Tony and you can work it out of your system." He smiled, "Think of it as no different to going for a run when you're feeling stressed." Tony never ran but he understood what Steve was trying to get at.

Quite an argument had been woven around the situation and Tony just wanted to please Steve in anyway possible, "I'll do it if it makes you happy but if you even have an ounce of a second thought let me know and it'll be like it never happened." He felt unsettled as he agreed it.

Steve was just glad Tony would be able to get his sexual tension out with someone. Even if it wasn't him. He kissed him gently.

"Thank you, Tony"

—

It was 10 days later when Tony began to feel the urge. It was easy to keep under wraps for a couple of days but eventually he had to admit that he was damn right horny. Now was the challenge of bringing the subject up to Steve as the other man hadn't mentioned the deal since it was first agreed. Tony subconsciously hoped that Steve would take back the offer and be possessive over him. He could then go about with his usual relief plan of jerking off in the shower while thinking of Steve. He had checked multiple times with Steve if it was okay to think of him when jerking off since he was so cautious about crossing any boundaries. Steve had reassured him that he was more flattered than anything else.

He decided to breach the topic that night at dinner but now he just have to decide about how to go about it.

They were just scraping up the last morsels of their dinner when Tony coughed slightly and knew the brief silence was perfect timing. Steeling his nerve, he began,

"Um Steve... I was thinking about that thing you suggested last week?" Controlled and calm, his voice sounded like he was making a business deal as he wanted looking for sex to seem like nothing more than a transaction between strangers.

"You need to go?" The golden haired man asked, leaning his head to the side. The puppy-like action pulled on his heart strings.

He nodded silently.

Steve tried to smile, "Then go tonight. It's perfect timing since we don't have any plans."

Tony frowned, "You sure?"

Blue eyes glistened as he nodded and Tony nodded. Somehow, despite their agreement, they were both disappointed.

Only an hour later he was dressed and stepping out the door of the tower. He looked back up and swallowed thickly at the thought of Steve being alone while he was out with a stranger. However, the drive in his guts had him moving towards the nightclubs. Hopefully he'll be back within a couple of hours so he could make it up to his partner.

—

_Emptiness_.

If Steve had to pick one word to describe the time since Tony left it would be emptiness. The penthouse suite was dark and suddenly felt cold and abandoned. His heart was fluttering in a way which, pre-serum, he would have enquired at a doctors about but now it was just causing his stomach to churn violently. He wished he'd skipped dinner.

The door had barely clicked shut behind Tony when the soldier had climbed into their shared bed and pulled their blanket over his head. Smelling like his partner, the bedding caused tears to threaten to overflow in his eyes. He bit his teeth together and silently told himself to get it together. He was doing the right thing for Tony and their relationship. It would be good for them.

One of Steve's greatest fears since releasing he was asexual was that he'd never be able to keep a partner. He always envisioned his partner's leaving due to their lack of sexual intimacy and it wasn't completely unfounded as it had happened to him before. Tony was special to him and he'd do anything to keep him happy. Even if that meant breaking his own heart in the process.

A tear rolled down his cheek, "Get it together. He needs this." He hissed to himself and wiped it away on their blanket.

Steve had felt like he'd trapped Tony in their relationship as he hadn't felt comfortable to disclose his asexuality until they'd been talking for a few weeks and were on a date. He felt this especially since Tony had always had such a playboy reputation so he clearly craved and needed sex. It was integral to his character. He'd seen the papers and blog posts about the man pre-their relationship and didn't want him to have to change for him.

He scolded himself again, "Stop it." He sniffed and buried his face into the pillow, "Oh, Tony." He groaned out.

The more he dwelt on it, the more it broke his heart but he had to remind himself that it was for the benefit of their relationship. Unless... Tony found someone else out there who could give him everything the man craved. Steve could become obsolete.

It was at this point in the night when Steve started to sob. It was all made worse by his feelings of lack of control over the situation. He felt like he'd created a lose-lose situation: Tony goes out for sex and he could find a new partner or Steve asks him to repress his sexual energy and Tony eventually gets bored and leaves!

The sobbing prevented Steve from hearing when the lift stopped at their floor. It stopped him hearing his lover calling out tentatively. It wasn't hard for Tony to find him though as he just followed through to the bedroom where a lump of blankets were curled up. He frowned down at the moving sheets.

The genius touched Steve through the blankets and the man jumped and shot up into a sitting position.

"Oh, Tony!" He tried to plaster on a fake smile, "You're back!"

"You're upset?" Tony sat on the edge of the bed and cupped Steve's cheek like the other man often does for him, "Oh, baby. Don't be. I couldn't go through with it."

The blond suddenly perked up, "You couldn't?"

He leant forward until their foreheads touched and he took a deep breath, "I got to a bar and I couldn't stop thinking about you. Every person I looked at were just so unattractive just because they weren't you. I love you and the thought of being intimate with anyone who isn't you just isn't right. And I know you don't like sex and I'm perfectly okay with that. Snuggling with you is a thousand times better than a night with a stranger. You're my everything so don't feel like you need to sort me out. You are enough." He allowed their lips to bump together before they kissed properly. He ran his fingers through his partner's hair, "I should never have agreed to it in the first place."

Tony wiped Steve's tears and kissed his cheeks where they'd been, "Now, how about a movie in bed? I can get us some ice cream to cheer you up! You get first dibs on the Ben and Jerry's flavor."

Steve smiled gratefully. He must have done something really good in a past life to be rewarded with a man like Tony Stark. Little did he know that Tony felt the same about him.

Tony coughed, "I'll just need to... uh, pop in the shower first."

They both laughed and within the hour they were snuggled under the blankets watching a film that neither particularly cared about but it didn't matter since they were together. Besides, Steve had claimed the last Chocolate Fudge Ben and Jerry's so he was feeling pretty smug about that.

Even when Tony stole a spoonful.

Steve had lived his whole life believing that he is a freak and an outcast. It'll take more than a few months with someone who truly loves him to re-write all of the lost time but eventually it'll happen; eventually, Steve will wake up in the arms of the man he loves and will know, without a doubt, that he belongs there and, moreover, that he deserves to belong there. Luckily for him, Tony is there to accompany him on this journey and remind him one hundred times a day that he is loved, he is safe and he is not a freak.


	3. Epilogue

Tony Stark, billionaire, world renowned celebrity and known attention hog, was severely nervous and he wasn't particularly willing to admit it. They'd made it through the ceremony relatively unscathed even if a tear or two had betrayed him and made a jump for it. He blamed it on Steve, Tony always cried when he could see Steve crying. Besides, he'd even noticed Fury welling up behind the eyepatch.

It was their wedding day and, if Tony could brag, Steve was looking divine. Their dark suits largely matched with only slight differences in the patterning on the lapels and they were both tailored to perfection. Clint somehow wiggled into being their best man and it was precisely his best man speech that Tony was nervous for. They'd been friends for years but their typical banter might not translate to the public arena as well.

At their head table Tony slipped a hand under the table cloth to intertwine his fingers with his new husband. He could feel the gold band encircling Steve's finger and he tried not to allow the grin on his face to turn completely and uncontrollably goofy. Steve seemed to have the same thought as he looked across at his partner and smiled.

The static sound of the microphone being turned on caused Tony's heart to drop; why did they even allow Clint to be best man? Mostly because he and Steve had agreed that Bruce would not want to give a speech and Thor would be himself and nobody would understand his Asgardian references. That left Natasha or Clint and the former had claimed head bridesmaid.

The archer took to the stage, he had a projector behind him and just as he started pictures from Steve and Tony's time together started appearing on the screen. Many of the photos, they grooms weren't even sure they'd ever shared with him.

All eyes were on Clint and he started with a breath steadying sigh, "Alright everyone, I have to start with a confession... When I first heard about Steve and Tony's relationship I didn't believe they would make it a week, let alone 5 years." Some of the crowd chuckled, "I still partly think they're not really together and this is all one large prank on me." The laughter scattered from table to table, "This is despite almost everyone I spoke to telling me that there was something about them that just made them perfect for each other. It took me nearly 5 years but slowly they began to show me what made them so undeniably perfect for each other. Mostly their balance," An image popped up on the screen of Steve holding Tony above his head, it had been done as a bet where Tony bet Steve he couldn't hold up above his head. Both of them had known he could but he wanted the experience,

"Tony is a dick and Steve is the opposite of a dick. Tony is loud and obnoxious while Steve is quiet and reflective. What I'm trying to say is that yes, I thought they'd make a bad couple but that's because I'd never seen them as a couple. Seeing them as a couple allowed me to see them each as an individual more clearly..."

Clint's spiel continued for nearly 30 minutes, in which time he had the audience laughing so hard that their sides hurt, crying along with him and falling in love with Steve and Tony all over again. When he wrapped up the room applauded for several minutes and the newly weds were pleased as it allowed them to compose themselves and wipe away their tears.

Tony stood up after a moment and, with a cocky smile to disguise the genuine emotion, announced, "Enough of the soppy stuff. It's time to party!" The guests cheered and within minutes the music was blasting and people were already getting drunk.

Despite the party, Steve and Tony couldn't stop thinking about the best man speech. Clint had made it so personal and special for them. They'd need to thank him profusely.

It was a couple of hours later that Tony realized that his husband had vanished. Luckily, the man was easy to find as he was out on the empty balcony peering up at the stars. He jumped when Tony's gentle hand rested on his back.

He sighed contentedly and smiled as he spoke, "You know, before I met you I didn't think I'd ever get to spend my life with anyone. I'd been rejected and cast aside so many times. I'm so lucky to have found you." He turned and watery, blues eyes met brown.

"I love you, Steve. And you're wrong, I'm the lucky one here." He leant up and placed a kiss on Steve's lips.

Steve kissed him back, his hand resting in his husband's cheek and they knew they'd be happy.

When the fireworks started some time later everyone joined them on the balcony but the men continued grasping onto each other tightly and they knew that they'd never want to let go.


End file.
